Price strikes out 12 as Rays beat A’s

AP, ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

The Toronto Blue Jays’ Eric Thames, right, breaks up a potential double play after being forced out as the Los Angeles Angels’ Howard Kendrick is unable to make the throw to first base to get out the Jays’ Brett Lawrie, which allowed Edwin Encarnacion to score during the eighth inning of their MLB game in Anaheim, California, on Friday.

Photo: Reuters

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Tampa Bay pitcher David Price struck out 12 over eight strong innings as the Rays notched their 12th win in 13 games by beating the Oakland Athletics 7-2 on Friday.

The Rays, who are a major league-best 19-8, improved to 13-1 at home.

Price (5-1) threw 106 pitches while allowing one run and one walk. He is the second American League pitcher to win five games this season, joining teammate James Shields.

Johnny Damon hit a two-run triple in his first home game with the Indians, who took an early lead against Texas starter Colby Lewis (3-1).

Damon’s drive off the wall in center was nearly caught by Josh Hamilton, who returned to the Rangers’ lineup after missing three games because of a sore back.

Texas had won 11 of their previous 12 games at Progressive Field.

ORIOLES 6, RED SOX 4, 13 INNINGS

In Boston, Massachusetts, Chris Davis drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the top of the 13th inning and Baltimore outlasted Boston.

Mark Reynolds, who hit his first homer of the season in the third, added a sacrifice fly in the 13th to pad the margin, and Jim Johnson set down the Red Sox in order in the bottom of the inning to end the game after four hours, 37 minutes.

Franklin Morales (0-1) took the loss for Boston, who led three times, but still dropped their eighth home game out of nine.

BLUE JAYS 4, ANGELS 0

In Anaheim, California, Henderson Alvarez pitched his first major league shutout as Toronto beat misfiring Los Angeles.

Alvarez (2-2) threw only 97 pitches to complete back-to-back wins after going winless in his previous nine. It was the fourth consecutive complete-game shutout thrown at Angel Stadium.

Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays, who handed Los Angeles starter Ervin Santana (0-6) his sixth loss in as many starts this season.

Santana allowed only three hits over eight innings with 10 strikeouts, but the Angels have been shut out in each of his past five outings.

TIGERS 5, WHITE SOX 4

In Detroit, Michigan, Jhonny Peralta’s two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Detroit a win over Chicago.

The White Sox led 4-2 after Gordon Beckham’s two-run shot in the seventh, but the Tigers got a run back in the eighth on a single by Miguel Cabrera. After Alex Avila’s one-out single in the ninth, Peralta ended it with a homer off Matt Thornton (1-1).

Tigers reliever Jose Valverde (2-0) pitched the ninth for the win.

Detroit outfielder Delmon Young was reinstated from the restricted list following a seven-day suspension, but did not play. He was arrested last week and accused of yelling anti-Semitic epithets in New York.

YANKEES 6, ROYALS 2

In Kansas City, Missouri, C.C. Sabathia pitched eight innings to guide New York to victory over Kansas City on an encouraging day for the Yankees.

The night began with closer Mariano Rivera’s announcement that he plans to return from a likely season-ending knee injury rather than retire, and ended when David Robertson struck out the side in the ninth to give Sabathia (4-0) his fourth straight victory.